Best of 2019 #48: Colunia – “Zéphyr”

It’s hard not to fall under the spell Emilie Chevillard’s chromatic harp.  It possesses such a distinctive sound, and simultaneously stands out from and blends in with the other instruments.  It is that way a single tongue of flame can draw the attention from within a fireplace, even as it draws the other flames in close.  And this is true of the 2019 release from Colunia, where the heat of the flames and the way they dance amongst one another possesses a hypnotic effect while, simultaneously, keeping the listener bolted upright.  The conversational chatter from drummer Florian Chaigne, the arresting melodicism of saxophonist Gweltaz Hervé, the deep hum from bassist Emeric Chevalier, and guests on woodwinds and strings, all come together with a dazzling brilliance that makes the singularity of the fire far more resonant than any individual flame.  But all the same, this is one more example of a growing base of evidence that harp needs to be included far more often in a jazz setting.

Your album personnel:  Emilie Chevillard (chromatic harp, konnakol), Florian Chaigne (drums, konnakol), Gweltaz Hervé (soprano, alto & baritone saxophones), Emeric Chevalier (double bass), and guests: Linda Oláh (vocal), David Chevallier (guitars), Geoffroy Tamisier (trumpet), and Thomas Jacquot (sitar).

The album is Self-Produced.

Music from Nantes, France.

I wrote about this album for The Bandcamp Daily.

Listen | Read more | Available at:  Bandcamp – Amazon